The main objective of this application is to enable the investigator to
initiate a cancer prevention and control research program to study
interventions that promote psychological adjustment, health behavior and
breast screening in first-degree relatives (FDRs) of breast cancer
patients. To achieve this, the investigator will provide a brief
personalized health promotion counseling (PHPC) intervention. The PHPC
intervention will involve personalized feedback regarding current levels
of physical activity and personalized counseling in the adoption of a
regular regimen of physical activity (e.g., 30 minutes at least 5
times/week). The effects of the PHPC intervention will be compared to
the effects of a general health information (GHI) intervention in a
randomized trial. The subjects will be 276 women ages 40 and older who
have a family history of breast cancer in at least one female FDR.
Subjects will participate in the baseline telephone survey that will
assess physical activity, psychological well-being, and breast screening
behaviors. Interventions will be delivered during a two-hour individual
visit with a health educator. Three- and 12-month follow-up assessments
will be used to assess the short- and long-term impact of PHPC vs. GHI
on psychological well-being, physical activity, and breast screening
adherence. Also, the investigator will determine which pretreatment
psychological characteristics and sociodemographic variables impact how
the PHPC intervention is received, thus influencing how PHPC impacts the
outcome variables. Finally, path modeling will be used to test the
mechanisms by which PHPC impacts on psychological and behavioral
outcomes. The information obtained from this project should be
applicable to groups at high risk for developing other cancers (e.g.,
colon cancer).